Smith: Keeping quiet is a fine art in politics

So, it turns out that the concerns being raised by Jenny Lillge to limit the city's proposed General Plan to 4,000 new homes is all for naught.

Lillge, an attorney, who is also the daughter of City Councilman Tom Stallard, has been waging a social media war against a proposed 10,000 new homes and apartments over the next 20 years, which the council voted to allow on Oct. 15. Stallard was the sole holdout.

Tuesday night, during a public comment session at the council meeting, Lillge basically provided an update on the petition drive.

She said people were telling her that they didn't want Woodland to be like Roseville, and that it "appeared the council was siding with outside developers who stood to make millions" if their projects went through.

Typically, during public comment, council members can interact with speakers, but usually remain silent.But there's a fine line between back and forth banter and revealing too much about pending votes or decisions.

Mayor Skip Davies crossed that line when he told Lillge while complimenting her for her activism that "I know it's not going to be 10,000. It may not be 4,000 homes, but it's not going to be 10,000." That's quite a promise.

How does Mayor Davies know this? Has he polled other members of the council, which is inappropriate at best and illegal at worst. Since a vote has already been taken is there going to be another? I would presume so based on his comments, although predicting the outcome is questionable.

According to city staff, population projections assume a 1.7 percent growth rate, which would actually call for about 9,000 new dwelling units over the next 20 years. Maybe that's the number Davies is referring to?

In any respect, as pleased as I am in knowing the city won't build those 10,000 new dwelling units, I don't think Davies should be telling us the results before the actual votes are counted.

Think I'm over reacting? OK, flip the argument. Take a developer, someone like Paul Petrovich. He comes before the City Council during a public comment period and says words to the effect: "Gentlemen, I've seen the proposals for commercial growth over the next 20 years and it only provides for 500,000 square feet of new businesses outside the city's downtown core. I think we need 1 million square feet."

Mayor Davies replies: "I know it's not going to be 500,000 square feet. It may not be 1 million square feet, but it won't be 500,000."